Closure for condiment-holders and the like.



G. A. CONGER.

CLOSURE FOB, CONDIMENT HOLDERS AND THE LIKE.

' APPLICATION IILED JUNB16L1913.

1,102,879. Patented July 7, 1914.

INVENTOR B /4, EWJH f, ATTORNEY WITNESSES:

- adapted portion 3 of the closure, and between these,

CHARLES A. CONGER, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

CLOSURE FOR CONDIMENT-I-IOLDERS .AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July *7, 1914.

Application filed. June 16, 1913. Serial No. 773,987.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, OHAnnns A. GONGER,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Closures for Condiment-Holders and the like, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to closures for the openings of containers or holders of various kinds, it having been particularly devised to serve as the closure. for the filling opening of a condiment holder.

In the accompanying drawings-Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a condiment holder to which the preferred form of my invention is applied, the closure being represented in elevation. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line TIL-III of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an inside end view of the closure, in place. Fig. 5 is an elevation of the invention, illustrating the manner of removing or applying the closure to the holder. Fig. 6 is a similar view to Fig. l showing a different adaptation of the invention. Fig. 7 is a sectional view of another embodiment of my invention, and Fig. 8 is a bottom plan view of Fig. 7. I

- n the accompanying drawings, A designates a vessel, in this instancea condiment holder, having a bottom plate a in which. is a filling aperture b. andpreferably is, surrounded by a short inturned flange 2, as indicated in Figs. 3 and 4:,

though this is not essential-to my invention,

as is apparent from an examination of Fig. 6.

The closure in its preferred form consists of a hollow cylindrical body 3 adapted to rest against the plate a and cover the aperture Z) therein. It is preferably formed with a short, reduced, inner end portion 4 that is adapted to enter the aperture and center the closure relative thereto. The bearing face 5 surrounding the reduced portion, 4;, is wide enough to rest and be well seated upon the plate a, all around the aperture. At its outer end the body of the closure is preferably provided with a flange 6 which is useful in manipulating the device.

7 indicates a cup shaped part that is to fit, telescopically, into the body Fig.

This aperture may be,

two parts, 3 and 7, is situated a spring 8 that tends to force them apart.

In the end of the cup 7 is seatedv a U- shaped clasp 9, the free arms of which extend through apertures in the bottom of the body part 3, and are turned outward and then upward to form hooks 10 that engage with the inner'face of the plate 0; at the sides of the aperture. These hooks are preferably bent so as to be diametrically opposite each other and so as to have their ends'engage with the plate just beyond the flange 2, when that is employed.

The closure is represented in place in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings. To remove it the closure is grasped as indicated in Fig. 5, the thumb bearing upon the cup piece 7 and the first two fingers of the hand catching under the flange 6. Pressure being applied, the cup isforced into the body 3 and the spring 8 compressed. This forces the clasp 9 sufficiently far inward to permit the hooks 10 to pass the flange 2, as the closure is moved laterally and outwardly and at the same time inclined, as represented in said 5. When the closure is applied it is practically impossible that it be accidentally disengaged or removed.

In Fig. 6 I have represented an application of the invention in which the flange 2 is dispensed with, and where a'pair of notches 11 communicating with the aperture 6 are formed in the plate a. These apertures are of a size to permit the ends of the hooks 10 to pass through them. In this arrangement the closure, which does not differ from that shown in the other views, can be more easily applied to and removed from the holder than in the arrangement shown in the other views; but, on the other hand, the attachment of the closure is not so secure. In using the invention when arranged as shown in Fig. 6, the closure is held so that the hooks 10 register with the notches 11, and is then seated.

, To remove the closure it is only necessary to turn it until the ends of the hooks come opposite the notches 11, when the spring will force the cup and clasp outward and the closure will be free to be removed.

' except for a central aperture through which passe the stem 19 of the clasp. At the outer end of this stem is a head 17, and at its inner end a set of arms 20 adapted to engage with the inner face of the plate a. A spring 18 is arranged between the head 17 and the body 13 of the closure. The manner of using this form of the invention will be apparent without further description. It is cheaper in construction than that illustrated in the other views, but not so neat in appearance nor so desirable a construction. I

It will be observed that in both forms of A invention illustrated the outwardly extending arms of the clamp, that engage with the inner face of the perforated plate and hold the closure in position, are rigidly connected with or have fixed relations to each other; and that, therefore, when the stopper is to be removed or applied to the apertured plate, the arm must be moved inwardly beyond the seat, and the inner face, of the closure sufliciently far to allow the closure to be shifted laterally, bringing the edge of the plate between the arms and the inner end of the closure, in order that it may be disengaged from the plate and the clamp arms passed through the aperture. When the apertured plate to which the closure is appliedis thin, as for instance when made of sheet metal, and the aperture is surrounded by a flange, as represented at 2 in the drawings, it is found desirable, to bow the arms of the clamp outward, forming hooks, as indicated at 10, as this arrangement permits the. flanged edge of the plate to enter the space under the hook and between it and the end of the closure, and furnishes suflicient space for the manipulation of the closure necessary to disengage the clamp arms and allow them to be passed through the aperture.

What I claim is I v p 1. A closure comprising a body that is adapted to be seated against the face of a. plate over an aperture therein, and a clasp having a plurality of arms which are main tained in fixed relations to each other engaging with the inner face of the plate and holding the closure in position the clasp being freely movable through the closure to permit the arms to be either brought into engagement with the said plate or separated therefrom. p

2. A closure. comprising a body that is adapted to be seated against the face of a plateover an aperture therein, and a freely movable spring-actuated clasp passing through the body and having a plurality of arms maintained in fixed relations to each other, arranged to engage with the inner face of theplate for holding the closure in position.

3. A closure comprising a body that is adapted to be seated against the face of a plate over an aperture therein, and a springactuated clasp passing through and freely movable in the said body, having laterally extending free ends hook-shaped arms maintained in fixed relations to each other and arranged to engage with the inner face of the plate for holding the closure in position. 4. A. closure comprising a. body "that is adapted to be seated against the face of a plate over an aperture therein, having a short inner end port-ion of a size adaptedto enter the aperture and serving to center the closure relative thereto, and a movable clasp having. a plurality of laterally extending arms maintained in fixed relations to each' other and beyond the inner face of thesaid short, centering portion of the closure, arranged to engage with the inner face of the plate to hold the closure in position) 5; A closure comprising a hollow body I that is adapted to be seated against the face of a plate over an aperture therein, a movable clasp passing'through the body, having a plurality of laterally extending arms that arernaintained beyond the inner end of the closure and are arranged to engage with the inner face of the plate to hold the closure in position, a part to which the said clasp is secured, and a spring arranged within the hollow body ofthe closure bearing against the clasp-carrying part.

6. A closure comprising a hollow body that is adapted to be seated against the face of a plate over an aperture therein, a cupshaped member arranged to fit telescopically within the said hollow body, a sprin between these parts tending to separate t em,

and a claspcarried by the said cup-shaped member and passing through the inner end 3 of the body of the closure, the inner ends of the clasp being shaped into hooks that are adapted toengage with the inner face of the plate for holding it in position.-

7. A closure comprising a hollow body that is adapted to be seated against the face of a plate over an aperture therein'having at its inner end a short reduced centering projection, and at its outer end a flange, a cup-shaped member arranged to fit telescopically'within the said hollow body, a spring between these parts tending to force them apart, and a clasp carried by the cup 'shaped member and extending through the bottom of the body, the ends of the clasp being turned laterally to engage with the inner face of the plate for holding the closure in position.

8. The combination with a perforated plate having a marginal flange about the catch over the marginal flange about the perforation, of a closure for the aperture aperture and engage with'the inner face of comprising a body adapted to be seated the plate for holding the closure in position. 1

against the outer face of the plate over the CHARLES A. CONGER. 5 aperture, and a movable clasp passing Witnesses:

through the body of the closure formed A. E. PORTER,

with laterally extending hooks arranged to M. S. WELLS, Jr.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

